Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-11-10

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The plans below show a college cafe before it was redesigned and how it looks now.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

The plans below show a college cafe before it was redesigned and how it looks now.

Student answer (Band 5.5)

The plans illustrate a college cafe before it was and how it looks now after redesigning.

overall, the big diference is food serving and its relocation before redesigning, the serving area was in front of kitchen and it was only one place for all food but in new plan it is seprated while there is additional outdoor seating has been added as well.

In both plans kitchen remained at same place which is quit back of buiding as well as toilets and also has been same as old plan shows. Tables and chairs also is in same point which ir middle of cafe but new plan there is additional outdoor seating area servinng which was in front of kitchen is now for hot meals only and for other foods staff dinng area ahas been replaced for take away for food and for cofee bar as well

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main change from one general serving area to separate food and drink facilities, and you note that outdoor seating was added. You also correctly report that the kitchen and toilets remain in place. However, the account is partial: it omits the salad bar, recycling bins, barbecue, and the replacement of the staff dining rooms with takeaway and coffee-bar areas is difficult to follow. Some comparisons are unclear, such as “food serving and its relocation.” The response is also four words below the required 150-word minimum. To develop the report, give a clearer overview and describe the key changes in a more complete, accurate way.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

There is a basic attempt to organise the response: an opening sentence is followed by an overview and then details about features that stayed or changed. This gives the reader some sense of the comparison. However, progression is weakened by the very long final sentence, which combines the kitchen, toilets, seating, hot meals, staff dining rooms, takeaway food and coffee bar without clear boundaries. Linking is also limited, and phrases such as “as well as” and “but” do not always show the relationship between ideas clearly. Use separate sentences or paragraphs for unchanged features and new facilities, and make each comparison explicit so the information is easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The response uses some relevant vocabulary for describing a plan, including “kitchen,” “toilets,” “serving area,” and “outdoor seating.” It also attempts to describe change with “remained,” “replaced,” and “additional.” However, the range is limited and several spelling errors—such as “diference,” “seprated,” “buiding,” and “cofee”—are noticeable. Some expressions are imprecise or unnatural, including “food serving and its relocation” and “additional outdoor seating area servinng.” These choices make parts of the description difficult to interpret. Build a more accurate set of plan-description terms, such as “was converted into,” “was added,” and “along the western wall,” and check spelling carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more extended sentence forms, and the reader can understand several basic comparisons, for example that the kitchen “remained at same place.” However, complex sentences are often faulty or incomplete. The opening phrase “before it was and how it looks now” lacks a clear grammatical structure, while “overall, the big diference is…” is not formed as a complete, well-controlled overview. In the final sentence, clauses are joined without clear punctuation, and agreement is inconsistent in “Tables and chairs also is.” Articles and prepositions are also frequently missing, as in “at same place” and “back of buiding.” Use shorter, complete sentences and check tense, agreement, articles and punctuation.

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